Undergarment with adjustable garter support



Filed Sept. 20, 1965 INVENTOR James I Burke W azy;

United States Patent 3,338,244 UNDERGARNIENT WITH ADJUSTABLE GARTERSUPPORT James Francis Burke, Aurora, 111., assignor to Sears, Roebuckand Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 20, 1965,Ser. No. 488,547 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-535) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Theinvention concerns an undergarment for ladies embodying an elastic bandat its bottom margins provided with a plurality of pockets forselectively and detachably receiving the hook supports of hose gripperswhich make possible the support of the hose at any desiredcircumferential points of the bottom margins. The retaining pockets areformed in an elastic band composed of a pair of integrally woven orknitted elastic strips in which the first wide strip is stitched alongits upper edge to the bottom of the garment and the second strip of awidth substantially less than the width of the first strip is integrallyunited along its upper edge of the first strip along a line intermediatethe edges of the latter and is integrally joined along its lower edge tosaid first strip near the lower edge along a series of spacedlon-gituidnal areas, thereby forming said pockets.

My invention relates to undergarments for females and is especiallyapplicable to those of the general character of a panty girdle, whichgarments are characterized in that they cover the lower portion of thetorso and are form fitting, being formed of stretchable fabric,terminating in rudimentary leg portions. The invention may also beapplied, for example, to sheath-type girdles.

Garments of this character may be worn with or without with regard tothe number of garters desired and the location thereof, and numerousexpedients have been proposed for the solution of this problem to permitattachment of garters in a variety of selected positions around theperiphery of the leg portions.

My invention may be considered an improvement over Murdock Patent3,059,647, granted Oct. 23, 1962.

According to Murdock, a pair of elastic strips or bands are stitched tothe free edge of the leg portions of a girdle, the latter beingsandwiched between said bands in the course of the stitching operation,and the outermost of said elastic bands terminating above the bottomedge of the innermost band and secured thereto by a spaced series oftacking to provide pockets into selected -ones of which may be insertedhose supporters or grippers.

The aforesaid construction has certain disadvantages, particularly withregard to the cost of production and also by reason of the fact that thestitching may become worn, permitting the aforesaid bands to becomeloose or detached, and for other reasons.

According to my invention, I secure to the free edge of the leg portionsof a panty girdle a longitudinally elastic strip or band consisting of aply of major width, the upper portion of which is stitched to theaforesaid leg portion, and having integrally knitted therewith adjacentits lower portion of a ply of minor width which is joined to the majorply along its top edge which is generally medial of the width of themajor ply and is also secured to the major ply at spaced portions of itslower edge to provide pockets into which hose grippers may be inserted.Thus,

my invention provides a construction which is considerably less bulkyand much more durable than that disclosed by Murdock.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the drawingsappended hereto and forming a part hereof and illustrating a preferredembodiment of my invention, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apanty girdle embodying my invention shown as worn on a human figure,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective sectional view on an enlarged scale,and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, also on an enlarged scale as comparedwith FIG. 1, of the free edge of a leg portion of the girdle, partiallymutilated to illustrate the construction.

The numeral 10 indicates a garment of the panty-girdle type as worn on ahuman figure, said garment comprising a main body portion 12 and legportions 15, 15. Said panty girdle may be of any desired constructionand material, although it is customary to fabricate such garments oftwo-way stretch fabric such as that known in the trade as Lastex.

Secured as by stitching 18 to the free edge of leg portions 15 is alongitudinally elastic band indicated generally by the numeral 20 ofsuch length as snugly to grip the thigh of the wearer and which may beformed of a fabric similar to garment 10. Said band 20 comprises a majorstrip 22 and a minor strip 25 integrally woven together. It will benoted that minor strip 25 is integrally woven along its upper edge as at27 to join major strip 22 at approximately the longitudinal median lineof said major strip. Said operation can be performed on a double ortriple shuttle loom, whereby the minor strip is woven as an integralportion of the major strip without interruption of the weavingoperation, thus efiecting a saving of time, labor and cost over theMurdock construction, referred to above.

It will be noted that minor strip 25 is of a width substantially lessthan one-half the width of the major strip, the lower edge 30 of saidminor strip being spaced a substantial distance above the lower edge 32of the major strip.

Although the minor strip 25 is secured to the major strip along itsentire upper edge as at 27, it is secured adjacent its lower edge 30 tothe major strip only along spaced linear areas, as indicated at 35, saidareas of attachment 35 likewise being knitted on the same machinewithout interruption thereof, and leaving unattached areas 37 betweensaid attachment areas 35.

Thus, it will be seen that said unattached areas 37 provide openingsinto the space between minor strip 25 and major strip 22 so as toprovide a series of pockets 40 above each of the attachment areas 35.

Thus, as indicated in FIG. 3 .a molded hose gripper or fastener F ofcommon construction, having a hook portion H, may be attached at anygiven point along the periphery of band 20 by inserting hook H into anydesired one of the openings 37 and manually working it into the adjacentpocket 40.

Obviously, by means of the arrangement shown and described above, thewearer of garment 10 may employ any desired number of hose grippers andmay position them at any desired points around the periphery of the legportions of garment 10.

The arrangement shown herein, embodying my invention, is of minimum bulkand weight and, therefore, may be worn with maximum comfort.Furthermore, by knitting the two bands or strips 22 and 25 as anintegral unit without interruption of the knitting machine, by simplepreadjustment of the latter, there is elfected a substantial saving incost.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art; hence I do not wish to belimited to the specific embodiments shown and described or usesmentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of myinvention being limited only bysthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an undergarment having a free bottom edge,

(a) an integral longitudinally elastic band formed of yarns, orfilaments and consisting of (b) a first strip portion stitched along itsupper edge to said free edge and (c) a second strip portion having anupper edge integrally joined to said first strip portion solely by theinterengagernent of said yarns or filaments, said junctions of saidstrips being approximately along the medium line of the latter andextending downwardly in overlapping relation to the first strip portion,

(d) said second strip portion having a lower edge secured to said firststrip portion along a series of spaced longitudinal linear areas toprovide spaced pockets for hose grippers, and providing spaced openingsbetween said areas for the entry of a hose gripper into said pockets.

2. A stretchable, form-fitting gridle as in claim 1, where in said bandis a unit with said strip portions integrally knitted together along theupper and lower edges of said second strip portion.

3. A combination as in claim 1, wherein the garment is a panty-girdle.

4. In an undergarment having a free bottom edge,-

(a) an integral longitudinally elastic band formed of yarns or filamentsand consisting of (b) a first strip portion stitched along its upperedge to said free edge and (c) a second strip portion having an upperedge integrally joined to said first strip portion solely by theinterengagement of said yarns or filaments, said junction of said stripsbeing disposed intermediate the edges of the latter and extendingdownwardly in overlapping relation to the first strip portion,

(-d) said second strip portion having a lower edge secured to said firststrip portion along a series of spaced longitudinal linear areas toprovide spaced pockets for hose grippers, and providing spaced openingsbetween said areas for the entry of a hose gripper into said pockets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1941 Nordseth 139-384 10/1962Murdock 128535 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN AN UNDERGARMENT HAVING A FREE BOTTOM EDGE, (A) AN INTEGRALLONGITUDINALLY ELASTIC BAND FORMED OF YARNS OR FILAMENTS AND CONSISTINGOF (B) A FIRST STRIP PORTION STITCHED ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE TO SAID FREEEDGE AND (C) A SECOND STRIP PORTION HAVING AN UPPER EDGE INTEGRALLYJOINED TO SAID FIRST STRIP PORTION SOLELY BY THE INTERENGAGEMENT OF SAIDYARNS OR FILAMENTS, SAID JUNCTIONS OF SAID STRIPS BEING APPROXIMATELYALONG THE MEDIUM LINE OF THE LATTER AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INOVERLAPPING RELATION TO THE FIRST STRIP PORTION, (D) SAID SECOND STRIPPORTION HAVING A LOWER EDGE SECURED TO SAID FIRST STRIP PORTION ALONG ASERIES OF SPACED LONGITUDINAL LINEAR AREAS TO PROVIDE SPACED OPENINGSBETWEEN SAID AREAS FOR THE ENTRY OF A HOSE GRIPPER INTO SAID POCKETS.